Dalewood Dr, Orinda

What would it cost to have a 4-bedroom in Orinda?

I was wondering that recently as I was thinking about what would be the ideal for me and my kids after the divorce. So I took a look and here on Dalewood is the only 4-bedroom I found in Orinda for rent. Dalewood is one of those long gently curving lanes with no sidewalks. The homes here are invariably large and long with big front lawns and walkways. Even the ones that don’t look particularly luxurious still have a certain air of affluence about them. (Perhaps it is the luxury cars in the driveways.) This is definitely the country club set--CEO’s and others who are part of the governing boards of their businesses.

This area is all that you could ask for when it comes to raising kids. Great schools (Sleepy Hollow Elementary all the Orinda schools are well-supported and achieve excellent results), virtually no crime (1 murder in Orinda in 10 years), and a nice secluded area far away from the worries of the world. It is all you can ask for if you can afford it, of course.

A home here on Dalewood will run you $4200/month ($50K per year in case you are wondering). So using the standard of 3 times rent to determine viability, a person would have to make around $150K to afford living here. Thus the reason why I--and most people--can’t really afford to live here.